This Little Light of Mine Giveaway

 

Author Kathleen Basi and her publisher, Liguori, sent me a copy of her newest book, This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes, to give away to one lucky Messy Wife, Blessed Life reader.  I loved the book; it even moved me to tears!  It's a great resource for any Catholic family to move closer to God through the beatitudes and is just as much for parents (or any adult really) as it is for children.  Read my full review here.

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This Little Light of Mine:
Living the Beatitudes

This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes

When author Kathleen Basi sent me a copy of This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes to review, I had no idea that it would move me to tears.  A resource for parents to help guide their families (and themselves) into deeper Christian living through examination of the beatitudes, I thought it would be a light "how-to" type read.  While it does include practical ideas for daily application, I found the short chapter reflections delve much deeper than typical books in this category.

In many ways, This Little Light of Mine is exactly what I expected: It is a quick read, at just under 100 pages.  Each chapter is short and to the point, containing a reflection on the beatitude, a shorter section for children, and practical ideas for "living" the specific beatitude.  This sounds like many other books I've read, yet the genius of the book is not in its structure, but in the exemplary way each part is executed.

I am familiar with the beatitudes.  I've read them, read about them, heard talks and homily centered on them; I have never read or heard or even thought of them explained in the way that Basi presents them.  I've always learned about them in a self contained way: here are the beatitudes, this is what each one means.  What This Little Light of Mine does differently is weave the beatitudes within a greater story of the Ten Commandments and the Catholic faith.  For example, chapter three addresses "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land" through discussion of the seven gifts and twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, as well as the 1 Corinthians definition of love ("Love is patient, love is kind...").  In another chapter, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God" is explained through the seven Sacraments.  Basi does this so effortlessly, the associations are never forced.  Having a greater context and association between various aspects of the faith makes it seem less of a complex and overwhelming religion and more of a simple, personal faith.

The children's sections are wonderful as well and I look forward to using this book with Lucia when she is old enough.  As a teacher, I am often frustrated by materials that water down content for children to the point that it only vaguely resembles the original concepts.  This Little Light of Mine doesn't do that.  It refreshingly recognizes that even small children are able to grasp deep concepts of faith and love, it is their vocabularies and lack of experiences that limit them, not their intelligence.  The children's reflections are shorter, more focused, written with more simple vocabulary, and include examples that young children can relate to, such as interactions with siblings and friends.  They do, however, include the same concepts as the adult reflection and challenge children to move closer toward living the beatitudes.

The "Just Live It" sections include great ideas for incorporating the faith into everyday living.  As a busy wife and mother, I appreciate that these ideas are "doable" for myself and my family.  They often don't require large time commitments or preparation, but no matter how small, they do serve the purpose of bring me closer to living the beatitudes and therefore to the heart of God.  This book was primarily written for Ordinary Time, the times when we have less obvious reminders of our faith. This book serves as a reminder that small actions done throughout the year can help move your family toward heaven.

As for the tears, chapter two, which addresses "Blessed are they who mourn" gave me a whole new perspective on suffering.  As many of you know, my husband has been looking for a job in his field for over a year now and while there is certainly greater suffering in the world, we've been having a hard time with it.   Basi's words about the good that comes from suffering was exactly what I needed to hear.  I wasn't expecting my heart to be so deeply touched by a book that I thought I was reading to help my children learn about the beatitudes.  This book is as much for parents, the heads of the family, as it is for children. 

Can't wait to read it?  You can get a copy on Amazon or enter to win one.  Kathleen Basi and her publisher, Liguori, sent me a second copy of This Little Light of Mine to give away to a Messy Wife, Blessed Life reader. 

I received a free copy of This Little Light of Mine to facilitate this review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  See me Disclosure Policy.

What my loved one says about me: Guest post by my hubby!

Becky is hosting a link up of "What My Loved One Says About Me", so I asked David to write a post for me.  And guess what?  He actually did it!  And it's sweet.  Read on a learn a thing or two about me from the person who knows me better than anyone else and then won't you leave a comment and let him know what a great job he did?  Thanks, hun!

Mandi knows a lot about the Catholic faith.

            I have learned so much from her about the Catholic faith since we’ve been married.  She has definitely helped me to grow in that aspect.  For that I am very grateful.  I know that she will do an amazing job of teaching our children.  Hence, the next fact:

She is a great teacher.

            Mandi is a Spanish teacher at a K-8 school near us.  I have observed her teaching many times and she is great at it.  Recently, I became very interested in being a teacher as well.  She has given me great tips on applying for jobs and helping me with my interview process for Teach for America.

She loves when I help her with her blog.

            And I love to help her with it as well!  I told her that I would love to do this post for her because I thought it would be fun!  I know she gets excited on these rare occasions.  (The truth is that I’m not very good at writing blog posts).

Like me, she hates grammatical errors.

            Hopefully, there are none in this post.  Our biggest pet peeves are when people use the wrong form of your and you’re; and there, their, they’re.

Her main love language is gifts.

            Mandi loves to get gifts!  Occasionally, I will bring her roses home after work.  Her face always lights up when she sees them and I love that!  Her mom even wraps individual stocking stuffers for Mandi because she loves to open them.  I don’t mean to sound like she only likes to receive gifts, but never gives them.  She definitely loves giving gifts as well!

She is a great mom.

            Our 16 month old absolutely adores her mom.  They can’t stand to be away from each other.  I know Lucia will grow up to be an amazing girl and woman some day.

She loves to play word games.

            Every time that we have free time, Mandi wants to play Scrabble.  She also loves the Words with Friends app.  She gets frustrated when I don’t play it fast enough!

She can be impatient.

            So far, I’ve only written positive things.  I felt like I needed to include one negative thing so that she doesn’t seem like a superhero!

She is a godmother to both a 1 year old and a 82 year old.

            That’s right!  She is godmother to both her cousin’s daughter and her grandfather! (I'm the godfather to both too.)

She is an excellent baker.

            Mandi makes the best desserts!  I am always requesting that she make some.  Especially her primordial fudge!

About the author: David is a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, sweet husband to Mandi, and super hands-on daddy to Lulu.  He makes a mean caramel macchiato and can eat a whole batch of primordial fudge. 

Meet Some April

With spring finally here (at least theoretically), I'm reminded to of the beauty and the blessings all around me.  My incredible sponsors are one such blessing.  Now, go check them out and be blessed too!

Meet Blogging for Brett.

Orphan. CP.  Needs a mama. 
Loves to be read to. Likes to make pyramids.

Brett is an orphan in Eastern Europe who needs a mama.  I started advocating for him through Reece's Rainbow in April 2012 because I couldn't believe that such an adorable little boy should face life in an orphanage and eventually a mental institution just because his legs don't work.  I'm hoping through this blog that we can find Brett some parents and give him a brighter future in Canada or the USA.

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Meet Patty.

 Newlywed. Youth Minister. Grad Student. 
Passionately Catholic. Lover of books & traveling.

My name is Patty and I blog over at Tales of Me and the Husband.  Grab a hot cup of tea or a glass of wine and stop on by, would love to get to know you!  I write about things I love/am passionate about, to book reviews and new recipes...and it's all done with honesty and on occasion a wee bit of sass!

pinterest | twitter | instagram | blog

Meet Jessica.

Wife to Steve. Mother to Stephen & Paul.  

Devout Catholic. Former teacher. Book lover.

I am a stay-at-home mom to two boys (2 years old and 11 months old) who wanted to help provide for my family. As a former elementary teacher and lifelong book lover, Usborne Books & More is the perfect fit. Our books are high-quality, exciting, engaging, and the books kids love to read! I'd love to help you expand your child's library or join the Usborne family!

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Meet EpicLinen.
Cozy home. Invaluable linen beauty. Inspired by simple designs.  
Delicacy of cuisine. In love with Provence.

Online Linen Boutique provides the finest linen production manufactured in Europe. EpicLinen adores vintage, shabby chic and rustic country charm. All EpicLinen’s production is dedicated to create cozy home and well being of the family!

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Meet Liz.

Wife. Mother. Crafter. Wanna be chef. Former teacher.

 

I'm a cradle Catholic who enjoys blogging about my life as a wife and mother.  When I'm not blogging, you can find me barefoot wandering around the beach.

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Meet Kristine.

Wife to Nate. Mama to our M&M girls. 
Owner & creater of J&M's Eye Candy Shoppe. 
Author of the Foley Fam Blog. Lover of laughing.

Hey now! I'm Kristine! My blog is where you'll find me {over}sharing and documenting my attempts at being a fun mom and wifey, being "fashionable", and being Suzy Homemaker, ya know throwing in some sweets and some craftoons in the mix. If you need some handmade pretties I'm your girl!

facebook | google+ | twitter | pinterest | blog 

Meet Katie.

Artful Homemaker. Inspired homesteader. 
Catholic/Waldorf Homeschooler. Speech Language Pathologist.  Mom to 5. Backyard chicken keeper & fabric collector. 
Recently featured in Hobby Farm Home Magazine.

Brighton Park Blog's mission is to inspire women, right where they are, to live their most inspired lives. Posts on homemaking (recipes, organization, DIY, marriage), homesteading (backyard chicken keeping, gardening) and homeschooling (Speech language pathologist of 17 years and homeschooler of 5 years). Katie understands that everyone has limited online reading time; she makes Brighton Park worth the visit by backing informative and interesting posts with years of experience and real credentials.

facebook | pinterest | twitter | blog


Meet Sarah.

Wife to Dan. Mother to Emily & Erin. Daughter of God. 
Lover of family, faith, food, and life.

 I'm Sarah, a young Catholic wife and mommy who loves to run, cook, bake, write, keep house (most of the time), and spend time outside. I'm the lucky wife to a wonderful husband and mother of baby twin girls. I strive to include my faith in all parts of my life, and I'm excited to share our journey as a newly made family of four - come join us!

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If you'd like to be part of the sponsor spotlight next month, 
check out the sponsorship options! I'd love to have you!

Legalese (legal-ease)

The legal side of writing a blog...definitely not the reason I write!  But it's something I have to deal with, and I want to be very honest with my readers about what that means.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) makes rules regarding blogging and the disclosure of posts that were an any way sponsored (either through money or free products) and posts with affiliate links.

You may have seen other bloggers writing about the new .COM Disclosures standards that went into effect on March 12th, 2013.  The new standards are a bit stricter than in the past.  I have always been honest and forthright about which posts are sponsored, which products I received for free, and my affiliate links.  But the small script at the bottom of a post is no longer enough, so I will be disclosing at the top of every applicable post.  I don't make a lot of money blogging, and I don't expect to.  I do publish sponsored posts and products reviews from time to time and I often include affiliate links on my posts.  To learn more about these types of posts, see below.

I want to assure you though, that every post and every opinion that I've ever written or will ever write on my blog is 100% my true and honest opinion, and hope that you will not automatically write off my posts because I include the disclosure at the beginning.  Here is what the disclosure on a post might look like:

And here are the types of sponsored content you might see:
 

Product reviews:  From time to time, I am sent a free product to try and keep in exchange for sharing my honest opinion with my readers.  Many of the products I use with my family I previously learned about from other bloggers and in turn I love sharing with my readers the products that worked (or didn't work) for me.  I am not monetarily compensated for these posts and I share my genuine opinions, good and bad, with my readers. 

 

Sponsored posts: Sponsored posts are written by me about topics that I think will interest my readers.  They may specifically mention a company or product, or may simply include links to a company or product.  In exchange for including the links and/or product information,  I am then compensated with either cash or gift cards.  Although I am paid to write these posts, I genuinely enjoy writing them and put my heart and soul into them.  I make them personal by including stories about my family and my childhood, products I genuinely like, and issues I'm interested in, in essence, topics I would write about anyway. 

 

Sponsored guest posts: I have had the pleasure of having many guest posts on my blog. Most are fellow bloggers (many of whom I consider friends) and I post their content simply because I love it.  Other times, I published paid guest posts with links to companies embedded.  I choose content that I think fits my reader's interests and turn down others that don't.  Just because I am paid to publish a post doesn't mean that it's not a great post!

 

Affiliate links:  I belong to a few affiliate programs.  Sometimes, when I talk about a certain product, the links I include to the products are affiliate links.  If you click on the links and make a purchase on the sites, I get a small commission.  There is no extra cost to you. 

Have questions?  I'd love to answer them!